Chapter 4: Standing Up To A Bully
It's now 7th grade year for May. Dawn and May are walking to their class.
"Are you sure about that May?" Dawn asked.
"Yes Dawn. I think I can handle it." May answered. They were just talking about May taking off her bracelets.
"But May, if you take them off, roses will sprout up randomly and everyone in school will know."
"But Dawn, I've gotten really good with my powers. I want to at least try to keep it under control without the bracelets."
"Then take them off at home. Not at school." Dawn said.
May sighed. "You're right." She looked down at her bracelet. "Taking it off at school will have to wait."
Because May was looking down, she didn't notice someone walking towards them. May bumped into this person and fell backwards, landing on her butt.
"Oww…" May said as Dawn went to help her up.
"Are you okay May?" Dawn asked worried. May stood up and looked at who she bumped into.
"Yeah. I'm fine." May answered.
"Hey! Watch where you're going!" The boy yelled. The boy was probably at least a whole foot taller than May and Dawn. It looked like this boy got held back two years. He has black hair and black eyes that show no mercy.
"Excuse me? You crashed into her." Dawn said angrily.
"I did not. Your puny little friend there should watch where she's going." The bully said.
"Why I oughta-" Dawn got cut off when she felt that May grabbed her arm.
"It's okay Dawn." May said. "Let's just go." May started to pull Dawn around the bully. He turned around.
"Aww...you need to go cry home to Mommy?" The bully taunted. May and Dawn stopped in their place.
"Are you two just scared to fight me?" The bully continued. May's grip on Dawn's arm tightened.
"May?" Dawn said.
May let go of Dawn and turned around. "I'm not afraid of you!" May yelled.
Dawn turned to May. "May, don't do it." She said once she saw May hold her wrist. May was about to take off her bracelets to unleash her power on this bully.
"You're not afraid? Then why are you shaking?" The bully said.
He was right. May was physically shaking. The violet rose jewel glowed. There were three things that she was afraid of: the fact that this guy looked really strong with his fists, the fact that she could unleash her powers and they might go haywire, and the fact that she could get in trouble if she's seen fighting another student.
May forced herself to stop shaking and she slowly started taking off one of her bracelets. Dawn stopped her hand though from taking it off.
"Dawn, I have to!" May said.
"No you don't! Don't do it in school." Dawn said.
"What are you? Chicken?" The bully said as he cracked his knuckles and slowly approached May and Dawn. Students who were walking down that hallway, kept their distance from a battle that looked like it was about to start. Soon, they had an audience.
"I'm...not a chicken…" May said, clearly scared of the him. May and Dawn are slowly backing up as he's slowly coming closer.
He decides to make the first move. He launched a punch at May. May and Dawn close their eyes in fear because they don't know who he's aiming at. His fist is 5 inches away from May's face when someone's hand reached out in front of May's face and caught the bully's hand. May and Dawn open their eyes and see Drew standing next to May with his arm extended out.
Drew put pressure on the bully's hand and ended up pushing it back.
"Hey! Who do you think you are stopping our fight?" The bully yelled.
Drew flicked his hair and smirked. "The name's Drew."
Just the attitude of Drew made the bully even angrier.
"Aww...did I make the mean bully angry? Better go cry home to mommy." Drew said. This made him even angrier.
"Why you-!" The bully said as he then tried to punch Drew.
Drew stopped the bully's fist again and pushed him back. "After all the big talk you said earlier, I would think that you would've put up a better fight."
Everyone, including May and Dawn, just watched as Drew handled the situation amazingly.
"Why you...pipsqueak!" The bully yelled angrily. Since Drew isn't that much taller than May and Dawn, the bully is also a lot taller than Drew. The bully tried punching Drew again.
"That's enough!" A voice yelled from the audience.
The bully stopped his fist before it made contact with Drew's face. Everyone looked to the person who walked towards the bully from the audience. A security officer. He grabbed the bully's hand and lowered it.
"You're coming with me." The security officer said. Another security officer then came out and made the bully follow him somewhere.
The first security officer faced Drew. "Thank you for letting us know."
"No problem." Drew said.
The security officer walked back through the crowd following where the bully was led. After a moment, everyone in the hallway who was watching all started clapping. They were cheering for Drew's bravery.
"I love you even more Drew!"
"You were so brave!"
"And you handled it so cool and still were charming!
Drew rolled his eyes at his fans. "Okay everyone. Show's over." The audience soon disappeared once Drew said that.
Drew turned to May and Drew. "Are you two okay?"
"Yeah, we're fine." May said.
"Thank you for saving us." Dawn said.
Drew flicked his hair. "Anytime."
"But...why did you stop him?" May asked.
"Well, I couldn't just be a bystander." Drew said. "When someone's in danger, I need to help."
"And where did those security officers come from?" May asked.
"I saw the bully approaching you two and I knew that he was going to try starting a fight, so I went to get security before I showed myself in the fight." Drew answered.
May stared at Drew for a few silent moments. Drew broke the awkward silence by holding a red thornless rose out in front of May's face.
"Umm…" Was all May said as she stared at the rose.
"You don't want it?" Drew asked. Before May could answer, Drew gently placed the rose in May's hair. He started to walk off past them. He stopped a few feet behind them.
"I'm glad I could stop the bully in time before he landed a hit on that beautiful face." Drew said without turning around. May blushed at his words and Drew continued walking to his class.
As soon as Drew turned a corner, Dawn said, "Oh my gosh May! He just called you beautiful!"
"He just...he...just…" May spaced out while blushing.
"Now I know for sure!" Dawn said excitedly. "He's fallen for you!"
May snapped out of her thoughts. "What?! No!" May denied.
"May, it's so obvious! The cutest guy in school is in love with you!" Dawn gushed.
May's blush deepened and the red rose jewel glowed. "No...he's not...he can't be…"
Little did they know that someone is around the corner, listening in on their conversation.
"Drew called her beautiful?!" The mystery girl whisper yelled to herself. "What does he see in her?! Drew is mine! And no one will take him from me!"
In the class with May and Dawn. By the way, Drew and that mystery girl also have this class.
"Thank you for stopping me from taking off my bracelets Dawn." May whispered.
"Sure. What are friends for?" Dawn said.
May sighed. "I'll try to remember not to take them off during school."
"Good. It could be dangerous if you do." Dawn said.
May glanced up at Drew in the front row. "Yeah…" She answered to Dawn.
With the mystery girl talking to her friends…
"You see that? She's looking at Drew." The mystery girl said.
"Are you sure you heard him call her beautiful Brianna?" Another girl said.
"Yes. I know what I heard Michelle." Brianna said. "And even if I heard wrong, he stood up to protect her. That seems to go beyond friendship."
"I guess you're right." Michelle said.
"So what's our plan to get rid of her?" Another girl asked.
"Well Naomi…" Brianna started. "We need to think big because she's clearly a threat."
"How about we lie to Drew about an embarrassing side to May?" Michelle suggested.
"Good idea...but can we think bigger?" Brianna said.
"Trick May into a place and then we lock her in there?" Naomi suggested.
"That's a good idea." Michelle said.
"Or how about…" Brianna started. "We frame her for doing something she didn't do and she gets suspended for it." Brianna ended with an evil smirk.
"Perfect!" Michelle agreed.
"What will we frame her for?" Naomi asked.
"So here's the plan…" Brianna said darkly.
Back to May and Dawn…
"Umm...May? We need to get to work." Dawn said.
"Oh. Right!" May said, snapping out of a trance. She had been staring at Drew for a while. May still doesn't want to believe that Drew meant what he said about her being beautiful.